Temperature dependent microwave attenuation behavior for carbon-nanotube/silica composites

SiO2-matrix composites filled with 2, 5 and 10 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared to evaluate the dielectric properties and microwave attenuation performances over the full X-Band (8.2–12.4 GHz) at a wide temperature ranging from 100 to 500 °C. On the basis of the conductivity induced by the structure of the MWCNT, the transport of migrating and hopping electrons in the MWCNT micro-current network has been discussed, and the effects of MWCNT content and temperature on the electronic transport and conductivity have been investigated. These effects also have great influences on the dielectric properties, electromagnetic wave propagating and microwave attenuation performances of the composites. The behavior of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and microwave absorption provide the technical direction for the design of microwave attenuation materials and also indicate that CNT-based composites could be promising candidates for microwave attenuation application.